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Restoration of Neurological Function Following Peripheral Nerve Trauma
Restoration of Neurological Function Following Peripheral Nerve Trauma
Molecular Sciences
Review
Restoration of Neurological Function Following
Peripheral Nerve Trauma
Damien P. Kuffler 1, * and Christian Foy 2
1 Institute of Neurobiology, Medical Sciences Campus, University of Puerto Rico, 201 Blvd. del Valle, San Juan,
PR 00901, USA
2 Section of Orthopedic Surgery, Medical Sciences Campus, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR 00901,
USA; christian.foy@upr.edu
* Correspondence: dkuffler@hotmail.com
Received: 12 January 2020; Accepted: 3 March 2020; Published: 6 March 2020
Abstract: Following peripheral nerve trauma that damages a length of the nerve, recovery of function
is generally limited. This is because no material tested for bridging nerve gaps promotes good
axon regeneration across the gap under conditions associated with common nerve traumas. While
many materials have been tested, sensory nerve grafts remain the clinical “gold standard” technique.
This is despite the significant limitations in the conditions under which they restore function. Thus,
they induce reliable and good recovery only for patients < 25 years old, when gaps are <2 cm in length,
and when repairs are performed <2–3 months post trauma. Repairs performed when these values are
larger result in a precipitous decrease in neurological recovery. Further, when patients have more
than one parameter larger than these values, there is normally no functional recovery. Clinically, there
has been little progress in developing new techniques that increase the level of functional recovery
following peripheral nerve injury. This paper examines the efficacies and limitations of sensory nerve
grafts and various other techniques used to induce functional neurological recovery, and how these
might be improved to induce more extensive functional recovery. It also discusses preliminary data
from the clinical application of a novel technique that restores neurological function across long nerve
gaps, when repairs are performed at long times post-trauma, and in older patients, even under all
three of these conditions. Thus, it appears that function can be restored under conditions where
sensory nerve grafts are not effective.
Keywords: nerve repair; nerve gaps; platelet-rich plasma (PRP); platelet-rich plasma; axon
regeneration; allografts; autografts; nerve conduits
1. Introduction
Clinically, traumatic peripheral nerve injuries are common, and are caused by violence, recreational
activities, motor vehicle accidents, and iatrogenic injuries during surgery. The majority of nerve
injuries occur in the upper extremity [1] with about 1–3% of all upper extremity trauma patients
presenting with nerve injuries [2]. These injuries can be severely debilitating and have a significantly
negative impact on the individual’s lifestyle, function, and work [3,4]. The majority of those who suffer
traumatic nerve injuries are young, with an average age of 39 [5]. Less than 50% of such individuals
undergo nerve repair surgery, and of those who do, only 40–50% recover good function [6]. Thus,
the majority of individuals who suffer peripheral nerve traumas suffer permanent neurological deficits,
and frequently also chronic neuropathic pain associated with the nerve injury.
Due to the generally limited extent of neurological recovery, it is essential to develop novel
techniques that restore more extensive function to a larger number of patients. This review examines
the relative efficacies of different techniques that have been tested for their ability to restore function
and discusses a novel technique that shows great promise for inducing recovery under conditions
where it is presently not possible.
However, fibrin clots are converted into a matrix that actively promotes axon regeneration by the
migration of Schwann cells into the fibrin clot from the central and distal nerve stumps. These Schwann
cells release a cocktail of neurotrophic and wound healing factors that bind to the pure fibrin converting
it from a passive three-dimensional matrix into one that actively promotes axon regeneration [24]. This
results in a significant increase in the number of axons that regenerates across the gap [25].
The efficacy of fibrin in promoting axon regeneration is increased by the platelets and mesenchymal
stem cells that become entrapped in the fibrin clot in the nerve gap. They act by multiple mechanisms:
(1) They release neurotrophic and other factors that act directly on the axons to promote regeneration [26].
(2) They release factors that promote Schwann cells of the distal nerve pathway to proliferate and release
neurotrophic factors, which also enhance the extent of axon regeneration [27]. (3) The mesenchymal
stem cells differentiate into Schwann cells, which release neurotrophic and other factors, thus enhancing
the concentration of these factors and the extent of axon regeneration [28]. (4) Mesenchymal stem cells
release factors that induce angiogenesis, which is essential for axon regeneration [29].
Although factors within the fibrin clot promote axon regeneration, factors are also required to
direct axons across the nerve graft. Growth cones extend fine processes that sample the environment
around them in search of factors to which they can adhere, and that both promote and direct their
growth. When Schwann cell-released neurotrophic factors are distributed in a uniform concentration
around neurons and their growth cones, neurite outgrowth is promoted, but the outgrowth is random.
However, when neurons and their growth cones are exposed to a concentration gradient of those
same factors in vitro and in vivo, the growth cones turn and increase the concentration gradient of
the Schwann cell-released factors [19,30]. This is because, as the factors diffuse away from the distal
nerve stump, they create a concentration gradient of the factor, which is the highest at the distal nerve
stump [30–33]. This directs the axons up the gradient and to the distal stump [19,30,33–35]. Once the
axons reach the distal nerve stump, their regeneration continues to be promoted and directed through
the distal nerve segment by the concentration gradient of Schwann cell-released factors ahead of them.
2.7. Autografts
It was originally hypothesized that the best material for inducing axons to regenerate across nerve
gaps would be a length of the autologous peripheral nerve [41]. The most commonly used donor
nerves are the cutaneous saphenous, medial antebrachial cutaneous, and sural nerves [42–45].
The following sections discuss the efficacy of sensory nerve grafts and other techniques in
promoting axon regeneration and neurological recovery.
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21, 1808 4 of 23
3.3. Inflammation
The standard technique for securing nerve grafts in place is to use multiple sutures through
the epineurium of the graft and the nerve stumps. However, sutures often cause inflammation and
scarring, both of which inhibit axon regeneration [49]. This problem can be overcome by placing a
degradable collagen [50] or fibrin [51] conduit around the site of nerve stump anastomosis, which
stabilizes the juxtaposition of the nerve stumps. An alternative technique is to apply fibrin glue to the
anastomosis site of the nerve stumps [52].
3.4. Necrosis
Sensory nerves generally have a smaller diameter than the mixed sensory/motor nerves they are
commonly used to repair. Often, multiple small diameter grafts are used so that the final diameter
of the grafts approximates that of the nerve to be repaired. However, smaller diameter grafts are
correlated with less functional recovery than larger diameter grafts [53–55]. This is ascribed to the lack
of vascularization leading to necrosis of the Schwann cells within the graft [54,56]. Necrosis reduces,
if not blocks, axon regeneration through the graft. This situation is not improved when multiple
small grafts are used. To avoid necrosis, the best approach is to use vascularized nerve grafts (see the
following section on vascularized grafts and inducing vascularization).
3.6. Decreasing Recovery with Increasing Time between Nerve Injury and Repair
Anastomosing nerve stumps of non-traumatic transected radial nerves of young males (25 years)
immediately [73] or within 14 days [7] of the injury generally results in good neurological recovery for
67% of subjects [73]. However, as the delay in performing the repair increases, the recovery of good
function decreases to 30%, fair in 28%, and fails for 42% of patients [7,73].
Similarly, when short nerve gaps are repaired using sensory nerve grafts, recovery is very good
to excellent following repairs performed ≤ 14 days post-trauma [7] or good to excellent for repairs
performed ≤ 2 months post-trauma [74]. However, the extent of recovery decreases significantly for
repairs performed > 3 months post-trauma [62,75,76]. Thus, delays of >2 months result in good recovery
in only 49% of patients [62], but are poor for repairs performed > 6 months post-trauma [62,77–79].
No recovery is reported for repairs performed > 10 months post-trauma [80,81].
regeneration. This suggests that vascular abnormalities might play a role in the decreasing ability of
axons to regenerate with increasing age. This further suggests that promoting vascularization may
increase the extent of neurological recovery in older patients.
4. Electrical Stimulation
to develop, and takes more time for longer nerve grafts. This is because vascularization normally
progresses from one end of the graft to the other.
The limitation of using non-vascularized grafts is avoided by using vascularized nerve grafts.
In the rat sciatic nerve model, vascularized grafts induce significantly greater neurological recovery
than non-vascularized nerve grafts [115]. Clinically, vascularized nerve grafts are required for axons to
regenerate across gaps of longer than 6 cm [116]. Although vascularized nerve grafts are more effective
in restoring function than non-vascularized grafts, they are not commonly used because the surgery is
more complicated and time-consuming.
An alternative technique to using vascularized autografts is to induce the rapid re-vascularization
of non-vascularized grafts. This can be done by pre-treating nerve grafts with VEGF before using
them [117]. This treatment stimulates neovascularization of the graft, and Schwann cell invasion into
the graft [117] and can reduce the time of graft ischemia by three days [118].
Axon regeneration can also be enhanced by using autografts with cells overexpressing VEGF,
which leads to hyper-vascularization [119]. This enhances axon regeneration by reducing endoneurial
scarring, by maintaining the viability of Schwann and other cells within the graft, and by decreasing
fibroblast infiltration. This results in a good nutritional environment for supporting axonal regeneration.
The decrease in axon regeneration through nerve grafts with increasing age is also attributed to
reduced graft vascularization. This is because aging is associated with a decrease in the upregulation of
the expression, and release of VEGF following nerve injury [91]. Following nerve injury to aged mice,
there is a significant reduction in the upregulation of VEGF synthesis and release, and thus, a failure of
axons to regenerate. These findings suggest that, with increasing age, vascular abnormalities might
play a role in the decreasing ability of axons to regenerate. They also suggest that clinically, inducing
enhanced vascularization might enhance axon regeneration and functional recovery.
5. Allografts
Conceptually, a good alternative to autographs is cellular cadaveric allografts. First, they would
avoid the need to sacrifice a sensory nerve function; second, they provide both a three-dimensional
extracellular matrix for supporting and promoting axon regeneration and Schwann cells, which can
release neurotrophic factors for promoting axon regeneration. However, using allografts requires the
administration of immunosuppressive drugs to avoid graft rejection and regeneration failure [123],
but immunosuppressants are associated with significant clinical morbidity [124]. They also cause
unwanted side effects, such as suppressing the regeneration-promoting capacity of host Schwann
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21, 1808 8 of 23
cells [30]. Thus, the use of cellular allografts for peripheral nerve repair is rare and their uses are limited
to the most severe cases of nerve injuries, such as those involving repairing long nerve gaps [125].
An alternative to cellular allografts is to use acellular allografts. These can be used without
immunosuppression after eliminating their immunogenicity [126]. Although they lack cells, they
typically maintain a highly organized extracellular matrix scaffold, which can induce axon regeneration.
Acellular nerve allografts, also called processed nerve allografts, are now increasingly used instead of
autografts [124,127–131].
In a comparative study bridging 1.4-cm sciatic nerve gaps in rats, acellular allografts, isografts, and
empty collagen conduits were seen to induce similar axon regeneration entirely across the gap [126].
Another recent comparative clinical study looked at the success of sensory recovery when digital nerve
gaps of 1.4 and 1.8 cm were bridged by acellular nerve grafts and empty collagen tubes. Allografts
vs. collagen tubes induced excellent outcomes in 39% vs. 48%, good in 55% vs. 26%, and poor in 6%
vs. 26%, respectively [126]. However, for 2.8-cm gaps, isografts were more effective than allografts,
but conduits were not effective [120]. Other studies determined that acellular allografts are excellent
for promoting axon regeneration across gaps 1–1.5 cm [31], 2–3 cm [131], and up to 5 cm meaningful
recovery across gaps [132]. However, similar to autografts, their efficacy decreases with increasing
gap length [53] and they are not recommended for (or FDA-approved) use across “long” nerve gaps,
considered to be >3 cm in length [55,68,82,125,133–135].
6. Nerve Conduits
Veins are promising as conduits [167,168]. Clinically, empty vein conduits appear to have a
3-cm-long limit for their ability to induce axon regeneration [169]. A meta-analysis of published
papers determined that for nerve gaps up to 4 cm in length, vein conduits did not induce any
significant improvement in sensory recovery outcome compared to conduits of other materials [170].
However, the axon regeneration-promoting efficacy of vein conduits is enhanced when they are
filled with PRP [171–173], muscle [174], pre-degenerated muscle [175,176], muscle seeded with
neural-transdifferentiated human mesenchymal stem cells [177], and minced peripheral nerves [178].
One study in sheep showed that using the median epineural sheath as a conduit can restore median
nerve function across 6-cm-long nerve gaps [179].
Clinically, the number of axons and the distance they regenerate, are significantly increased by
adding minced pieces of peripheral nerve to empty conduits [184]. Clinically, bridging a 5-cm-long
radial nerve gap with two sensory nerve grafts within a pure fibrin-filled collagen tube induces
excellent sensory and motor recovery across a 5-cm-long nerve gap [201].
7. Novel Technique
A novel technique was tested clinically for bridging a nerve gap. It involved bridging a 12-cm-long
ulnar nerve gap with a PRP-filled collagen tube [205]. The subject was a 58-year-old male, and the
repair was performed post-nerve trauma (Figure 1). The subject recovered good motor and sensory
function [205]. Thus, both sensory and motor function can be restored, even when simultaneously,
all three nerve trauma values far exceeded those where sensory nerve grafts alone are effective.
This result shows that functional recovery can be restored under conditions where sensory nerve grafts,
allografts, and conduits are not effective. The technique is presently being further tested.
Support for the clinically observed efficacy of a PRP-filled collagen tube enhancing axon
regeneration comes from both a clinical study and a number of animal studies. Clinically, the application
of PRP eye drops to the cornea enhances the regeneration of sensory innervation [206]. PRP applied to
the site of anastomosed rat nerve stumps enhances the extent of axon regeneration in rats [207–209] and
guinea pigs, In rabbits, PRP applied to an autograft increases Schwann cell proliferation and the extent
of axon regeneration [210]. Bridging a rat sciatic nerve gap with a PRP-filled silicon tube [198,211] or
surrounding the sciatic nerve anastomosis site with a PRP-saturated membrane [212] enhances axon
regeneration. In rabbits, filling vein grafts with PRP induces significant axon regeneration compared
to empty vein grafts [198,206,213–215].
The influence of PRP in enhancing axon regeneration has been proposed to result from
platelet-released neurotrophic and other factors [214–217]. An additional platelet potential contributor
to enhanced axon regeneration is VEGF, which, as discussed earlier, induces enhanced axon regeneration
by inducing rapid vascularization of the entire nerve gap [218,219]. This result suggests that
platelet-released neurotrophic and other factors create an environment within the collagen tube
that promotes axon regeneration despite a long nerve gap, a long delay between nerve trauma and
repair, and an old patient. These results suggest that the platelet-released factors play a number of roles
to induce axon regeneration and functional recovery: (1) They induce neurons to extend axons long
after they normally do not; (2) induce the Schwann cells of the proximal nerve stump to proliferate,
and release axon regeneration-promoting factors; (3) induce the Schwann cells of the proximal stump
to migrate with the elongating axons; (4) induce the Schwann cells of the distal nerve to proliferate and
7. Novel Technique
A novel technique was tested clinically for bridging a nerve gap. It involved bridging a 12-cm-
long ulnar nerve gap with a PRP-filled collagen tube [205]. The subject was a 58-year-old male, and
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21, 1808 11 of 23
the repair was performed post-nerve trauma (Figure 1). The subject recovered good motor and
sensory function [205]. Thus, both sensory and motor function can be restored, even when
simultaneously,
release neurotrophic all three nerve
factors andtrauma
supportvalues
axon far exceeded those
regeneration where
into and sensory
through the nerve grafts to
distal nerve alone
the
are effective.targets;
denervated This result shows that functional
(5) a platelet-released factor, recovery canVEGF,
potentially be restored under
promotes conditions where
vascularization of the
sensory
gap region. nerve grafts, allografts, and conduits are not effective. The technique is presently being
further tested.
Figure 1. Repairing an ulnar nerve with a 12-cm-long gap. (A) Sewing two 4 × × 8 cm collagen sheets
together end
together end to
to end,
end, and
and then
then into
into aa 16-cm-long
16-cm-long tube
tube around
around the
the handle
handle of
of aa surgical
surgical tool. (B) The
tool. (B) The
collagen tube cut to a 12.6 cm length and placed in the nerve gap. (C) The proximal and distal nerve
stumps secured about 3 mm into the collagen tube. (D) Completed nerve gap repair with the collagen
tube filled with autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP).
Confirmation of this result will mean that, without sacrificing a sensory nerve function, neurological
recovery can be restored under conditions of long nerve gaps, when repairs are performed years
post-trauma and to older patients.
8. Conclusions
Sensory nerve grafts, allografts, and conduits all induce axons to regenerate across nerve gaps.
Acellular allografts and conduits are considered to induce neurological outcomes only for nerve gaps
<6 cm, although they are routinely used with reliability for “short” nerve gaps considered to be <3 cm,
and allografts are FDA-approved only for repairing nerve gaps > 3 cm in length. All three techniques
suffer the same imitations of decreasing efficacy with increasing gap length, increasing time between
nerve trauma and repair, and increasing patient age. Although the distance across which allografts and
conduits induce axon regeneration can be increased by modifying them in various ways, none of those
techniques can be used clinically. Therefore, despite their limitations, sensory nerve grafts remain the
clinical “gold standard” for repairing peripheral nerves [69,70,166,220–223]. The recovery of function
across a 12-cm-long nerve gap of a 58-year-old patient, repaired 3.25 years post-trauma, suggests that
functional recovery can be established, even when the values of all three injury parameters far exceed
those where autografts are effective. Further testing and development of the technique are required to
determine its reliability and the limits of its efficacy.
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21, 1808 12 of 23
Author Contributions: Both authors contributed to the design, writing, and final editing of the paper. All authors
have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Funding: This research received no external funding.
Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
Abbreviations
ADSC adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells
bFGF basic fibroblast growth factor
BDNF brain-derived neurotrophic factor
CNTF ciliary neurotrophic factor
DMSC bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells
FDA Food and Drug Administration
FGF fibroblast growth factor
NT-3 neurotrophin-3
NGF nerve growth factor
GDNF glial-derived neurotrophic factor
PDGF platelet-derived neurotrophic factor
PRP platelet-rich plasma
TGF-β tumor growth factor-beta
VEGF vascular endothelial growth factor
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